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Source: Guardian - Massive snowstorms such as the one sweeping into the US north-east on Monday are part of the changing climate, New Yorks governor, Andrew Cuomo, declared at a press conference announcing a state of emergency.
Cuomo said on Monday that there is a pattern of extreme weather that weve never seen before  reiterating his comments in the wake of hurricane Sandy, when he said that anyone who says theres not a dramatic change in weather patterns is probably denying reality.

Source: Guardian - In the end, it was a bit of an anticlimax. After years of wanting to stick solar panels on the roof of my London home, all I had to show for their installation earlier this month was a garden-full of scaffolding and a new box next to our fuse box.
Many people will understandably have written off solar power at home as the government incentives paid for them have been massively cut, sometimes so drastically that it prompted successful legal action against the coalition.

Source: Bloomberg - As the worlds oil producers wring their hands over a global glut thats pushing down prices, evidence is mounting that Saudi Arabia is more concerned about shrinking demand. The worlds largest exporter has chosen not to cut production, counting instead on lower prices to stimulate consumption, said Mohammad Al Sabban, an adviser to Saudi Arabias petroleum minister from 1988 to 2013.

Source: Times of India - NEW DELHI: India and the US on Sunday stressed enhancing bilateral cooperation to deal with climate change but did not have a China-like bilateral deal where both Washington and Beijing last November set their respective emission cut goals. Despite international pressure, India walked its own path keeping economic development in mind and insisted on tackling climate change by moving firmly on the clean, renewable energy path, adopting improved energy efficient technology and through various adaptation measures.

Source: RTCC - When conflict between rich and emerging economies threatened to derail UN climate talks in Lima last month, one six-word phrase put them back on track. It was the same words used by the US and China in Novembers historic joint pact to cut emissions: In light of different national circumstances. The author of this formula, Susan Biniaz, keeps a low profile. But as lead climate change lawyer for the US State Department, she will play a critical role securing a global deal in Paris this December.

Source: RTCC - Norwegian oil major Statoil will go ahead with Arctic drilling plans, despite the drop oil prices and threat of climate change.
Tim Dodson, executive vice president of Statoil, quenched rumours that the company had given up its exploration work in West Greenland because of low oil prices  a move UN climate chief Christiana Figueres highlighted as an example of stranded assets becoming a reality.

Source: RTCC - Efforts to lift millions out of poverty will be harmed unless countries agree a new global plan to help countries cope with natural disasters, the UNs disaster risk chief has said. Resilient infrastructure, better early warning systems and wider access to education are essential to meet future development goals, Margareta Wahlström, head of the UN office for disaster risk reduction (UNISDR), told RTCC.

Source: RTCC - UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon says he finds the lack of focus on investments green infrastructure among world leaders troubling.
Speaking at a televised event at the World Economic Forum, Ban said forums like Davos and the G20 had failed to treat sustainable development seriously.

Source: Reuters - (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday offered to help finance India's ambitious solar energy target and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support at global climate talks in Paris later this year. India is the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter and often acts as the voice of the world's developing countries in United Nations talks on everything from climate change to economic cooperation.

Source: Guardian - The first day of the World Economic Forum in Davos was dominated by calls for 2015 to be a year of action on climate change. But while some in the business community worry about sustainability, there is plenty of evidence that the vast bulk of business executives give it no consideration at all.

Source: TIME - The U.S. special representative to the Arctic said this week that he told a Disney executive educators should use Frozen to teach kids about climate changebut the idea didnt go over so well.

Source: WWF Global - Gland, Switzerland  Forty-four finalists from countries around the world have been selected in this years Earth Hour City Challenge. The annual event rewarding cities for inspiring actions on climate change takes on special significance this year as a new global climate treaty is readied for agreement.

Source: National Geographic - The energy that goes into the production, harvesting, transporting, and packaging of wasted food generates more than 3.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. If food waste were a country, it would be the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind the U.S. and China.

Source: Crosscut Oped - Unlike Germany-based Munich Re, insurers in the U.S. are only slowly acknowledging their vulnerability to climate change. Insurance companies have a natural  and critical  role in helping us prepare for the inevitable and mounting impacts of climate change, and hopefully in preventing its worst effects. Their financial exposure makes them uniquely credible messengers. Since they set our rates, they also have economic leverage to prompt changes in our behavior.

Source: UCANEWS - Hong Kongs six main religions have joined forces to urge world governments to come to a consensus on tackling climate change, among the first interfaith organizations in Asia to do so.

Source: Guardian - Christiana Figueres, who heads up the global climate change talks, was visibly moved as she urged business leaders to take action to avoid runaway climate change at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos on Thursday. Figueres believes the lack of advocacy by companies is due to the fact that most of them still do not feel immediately threatened by climate change.

Source: Reuters - The United Nations asked governments on Thursday to submit plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions as the building blocks of a deal due in Paris in December to limit global warming, after scientists said 2014 was the hottest year on record.

Source: Reuters - Rising threats from climate change and nuclear arsenals prompted the scientists who maintain the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic countdown to global catastrophe, to move it two minutes closer to midnight on Thursday, its first shift in three years.

Source: World Bank News - Green bonds are mobilizing billions of dollars a year for development projects that countries and cities need, carried out in ways that are good for the climate and environment. 2014 was a record year for the young green bond market, with over $35 billion in new issuances, more than triple the year before. Several trends are emerging for 2015, including new types of issuers, green bond indices, and changing investor expectations.

Source: Business Green - The global financial system already has the tools it needs to deliver a low carbon, resource efficient economy, but is failing to mobilise sufficient investment to support long-term sustainable development.
That is the early conclusion at the halfway point of a two-year UN Environment Programme (UNEP) inquiry into the design of a more sustainable financial system, launched at the World Economic Forum at Davos.